Author Topic: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?  (Read 152860 times)

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #25 on: 23 May, 2016, 07:46:43 pm »
A tough AAA ride today 150km with 2 500m ascent all round.

https://ridewithgps.com/users/168646/activities

Quickly down to Builth wells despite slight headwind and then for a change used the country lane route (instead of usual A483). A lovely section of NCN 43, rather uppy / downy but lovely Welsh Poppies, red campion, bluebells lining the verges.

From Llanwrtyd rejoined the A483 for the gentle climb up and over Sugar Loaf and a fast descent down to Cynghordy before REAL climbing began. After following gently along the valley, passing under the wonderful Cynghordy viaduct currently clothed in vast towers of scaffolding, the road turned and kicked sharply up, my Garmin recording a 30% gradient at one point   :o

I`d hoped to get food at Rhandirmwyn but both pubs, café and shop were shut. NBG there was nowt else for 30 km. So had to resort to a choc bar and gel to get me around all the Llyn Brianne ups and downs and Devils Staircase.

Those who know the Llyn Brianne road know all about its sinuous nature, ups and downs around and around inlets; the most easterly inlet I measured at being 3 km on road to advance by less than 400m. Despite the warmth of the valley below and earlier it was decidedly chilly around the reservoir with a NW breeze but fortunately distant rain clouds stayed distant  :thumbsup:

Devils Staircase (west) is as tough as the notorious hairpins; this side goes up in a series of straight up steps, 20-25 %steps and I seriously contemplated walking....but stayed on the bike just.

The run down the Gwesyn Valley was very fast with a tailwind and lots downhill, and very quickly I`d reached Beulah (noting another, permanently this time, closed café at Coed Trallwm---whatever is going on with rural tourism being so important when so much is shut?. Beulah was good sustenance at the 7 day OPEN garage and a pastie, cappuccino with extra sugar and chocolate coated flapjack boosted my energy levels for the test of the `feared` Beulah - Newbridge roller coaster road.

Reaching Newbridge it was a relief to know that the hardest was over and the A44 flew by to finish a wonderful DIY ---2.5 more AAA points hopefully :thumbsup:-- but most importantly a really good day out  ;D
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #26 on: 30 May, 2016, 10:39:02 pm »
A lovely out-and-back to Brampton today, through Upper Teesdale and over Yad Moss to Tynedale, then back.

I usually plan loops rather than out-and-backs, but high spring in Upper Teesdale is always a bit special and it was worth doing twice, even if the clouds took ages to lift. A bank holiday well used.




Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #27 on: 31 May, 2016, 09:17:44 pm »
on fixed too, kudos  :thumbsup:
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #28 on: 31 May, 2016, 10:21:22 pm »
To be fair, it's my default setting ;D

Genosse Brymbo

  • Ostalgist
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #29 on: 01 June, 2016, 08:54:44 pm »
I rode a 300km DIYxGPS (Mandatory Route) from home to St. Ives (Cambs.) on Sunday.  It's an out-and-back run Pangbourne-Aylesbury-Sandy-St.Ives which I've previously ridden as a DIYxGPS (advisory route) and as a non-validated ride.  The mandatory route is shorter, actually turning in St. Ives, whereas the advisory route went out to Chatteris to get the between-controls distance (actually 340km).  I didn't really mind the extra distance, as it's within my margin for navigational error.  However, I used to find that arriving in St. Ives but not having reached the turn messed with my head; it always seemed disappointing somehow.  Also, the Windmill in Somersham is a bit of an expensive eatery for a randonneur.

The ride itself was uneventful, with a nasty headwind outward and welcome tailwind homebound.  However, it was a masterclass in nutritional failure.  The full English breakfast in Aylesbury was poor (and they gave me beans when I'd explicitly requested none).  I carried on to Sandy, grumbling to myself at the bad food Feng-shui of baked beans and runny eggs - how the f*ck did those t*ssers think that combination works?  And by the time it arrived the bean juice was congealed; w*nkers.  The petrol station Co-op in Sandy was as good as ever - a Pepsi, pint of milk, and a £1 summer fruits pie hit the spot; and they have toilet.  After a quick turn in St. Ives to put the Garmin in reverse I soon returned to Sandy and started on the road to nutritional disaster by only taking on water there.  By Woburn I was getting very hungry, but only pubs were open and they looked posh, so I continued.  I was forced to stop at the Three Locks pub at Lower Brickhill to get some calories on-board, if a pint of bitter shandy from a disposable plastic glass and £5.50 thimble of fruit crumble with a doll's tea set milk jug of custard provided any.  It's the first crumble I've had with what appeared to be tinned pineapple and peaches.  I decided not to stop in Aylesbury and next stopped in Haddenham, just before Thame.  Here I was able to buy a pack of 4 Eccles cakes in McColl's and restore some energy to my depleted system.

Not eating in St. Ives and not at least buying some food to put in my saddlebag on the way back was a huge mistake.  I reckon 300km is the longest distance you can make this sort of mistake and get away with it.  I'm left wondering whether I didn't use the saddlebag because it wasn't my faithful Barley.  I rode my TCR with the new lightweight setup of triangle bag and Ortlieb seatpack (see pic).  It was the longest ride I done on that bike and it's still not quite dialled-in.  However it was very light and responsive compared to the Tifosi CK7 and Barley and the cycling aspect of the trip was fun.

The present is a foreign country: they do things differently here.


Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #31 on: 04 June, 2016, 10:10:47 pm »
Yes.. Did, Chris K-R. Perm' Cheshire Peak Grimpeur 117k 2&3/4k metres.
Wonderful weather, great views and well chosen route. Although days like today, too hot for me,  can't drink as fast as I sweat it away!  :)

StephenR

  • Boooom Blast & Ruin
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #32 on: 05 June, 2016, 09:22:04 am »
Rode the Gospel Pass 200km perm yesterday starting from Cheltenham. Bit overcast, but warm and little wind. Hay on Wye very busy with the festival going on. Wonderful views from the top of the pass and a lunch stop in Llanthony. https://ridewithgps.com/trips/9299802
The land at the end of our toes it goes on and on and on and on

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #33 on: 08 June, 2016, 04:17:08 pm »
And curiously enough today I rode a 150km DIY taking in Gospel Pass coming out of Hay https://ridewithgps.com/trips/9362419 ---to be continued write up post rehydration (beers and milk based, separately !)  ---it was very warm out there today  :thumbsup:

so suitably rehydrated now :)

Originally I`d planned a 300 ultra hilly DIY, 5500m ascent but a lingering viral infection saw me delaying and then deciding to shorten it to a 10km, still with 2500m ascent.

After the torrential Tuesday night downpours the air at 7 am was thick and heavy still and low clouds hung on the hills, but it was dry and warm with little breeze. Climbing started almost immediately with a 1km pull up to old Radnor before a series of rollers leading on towards Hay on Wye, curiously quite as the festivals were coming to an end, hardly a soul to be seen.

Gospel Pass certainly earns its position of Wales` highest road pass, the climb of over 400m ascent 7km is a big pull up; but it was glorious, fluffy cotton wool misty  clouds dragged across Hay bluff and skylarks sang and sang in the summer air. After about half an hour I gained the col , 35 km and already nearly 1000m ascent.

I took great care on the narrow lane down, heavy rain had washed a lot of gravel onto the road and soup plate sized potholes threatened in the dappled shade, but eventually the road opened out and I was able to gain some speed  ;D. Turning right just after Cwmyoy I followed a series of narrow and delightful lanes towards Crickhowell for a Welsh Breakfast at café 18.

Following the B road up towards Brecon, passing through Talybont and Pencelli I enjoyed the relative respite of flatter ground in the knowledge of teh big pull up onto The Epynt MOD range road. But today it didn`t seem so bad, the steadily rising road to Upper Chapel passed quite quickly before I turned left onto the military range road. Plenty of troops around today on various manoeuvres and firing practise. The sun was now high in the sky, a few big cumulus clouds threatened, but didn`t deliver fortunately, and the temperature was soaring so I took it very easy across the three rolling ascents on The Epynt before reaching the northern escarpment and fantastic views into mid Wales, a little hazy today but still a most wonderful vantage point. :thumbsup:

20160608_124902 by jamesld8, on Flickr


I enjoyed a brief stop there, hearing a peregrine screeching in the deep cwm below, before the fabulous 10% descent, nearly reaching 70kph ;D , before taking a right turn at the X roads and following a roller coaster little lane back towards Builth, the A road out to New Radnor and eventually home :thumbsup: A really enjoyable ride and a long tiem since I`d ridden some of the roads and lanes made it a real delight on a beautiful sunny, but very warm,  day---how often in Wales does one wish for it to be a wee bit cooler !
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #34 on: 11 June, 2016, 10:50:25 am »
Started out at 4:30 yesterday morning on a DIY ride to Barmouth. The idea was that I ride there and my wife and daughter meet me and we have a couple of nights camping, come home on Sunday. Abandoned at about 85 miles due to a phone call from home saying not well, been sick. Decided that a night or two in a tent would probably not be the best thing so, I turned right at A458 back to Welshpool and caught the train home. I hate abandoning a ride.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #35 on: 12 June, 2016, 09:07:14 am »
A cold and damp Snow Roads 300k perm yesterday.
Not raining as such most of the time, but persistent drizzle that lasted all day and just slowly soaks everything.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1208790485

Annoying mechanical cost me an hour in Rhynie.
It was just a simple rear p*ncture, but I couldn't get the old tube out.
The knurled lockring on the valve was seized solid.
None of the tools on my multi-tool were pliers, but I managed to jury-rig the chain-splitter as a mini-vice, which slipped more often than it gripped.
But when it did grip, I got about 1/8th of a turn out of it.
I hoped that once I'd got the lockring loose, it would then spin off by hand as usual.
But oh, no.   It was solid the whole length of the (long) thread.
So it tool about 45 minutes to get the old tube out!

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #36 on: 12 June, 2016, 09:26:58 am »
Nice one, good route isn`t it  ;D, and although you had drizzle at least you didn`t get the last few hours conditions of 2014 !!

Looking back up Glenshee:

wet Glenshee evening by jamesld8, on Flickr
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

alfapete

  • Oh dear
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #37 on: 12 June, 2016, 11:27:31 am »
Did 3peaker's Old Clee Hill Flyer yesterday and had a thoroughly lovely day.

Headed up through Evesham to Alcester then westwards through Droitwich to Bewdley and Cleobury Mortimer. It was flatter than I had expected to this point but with persistant drizzley light rain, though it was plenty warm enough. I'd never climbed Clee Hill before and was expecting a brute, so was very happy to discover a long but gentle gradient with the top arriving sooner than anticipated. However, the cloud was so low that there were no views to be seen, and there was a brief spell of heavy rain on the very enjoyable descent.

Lunch at Costas in Ludlow then over the rolling hillocks to Tenbury Wells, Bromyard and Ledbury on roads which were much more familiar, before a flattish ride into Cheltenham. I was meant to finish with Cleeve Hill, but took the longer and flatter route through Gotherington before turning for home in Winchcombe when the rain jacket was donned (needlessly, it turned out) for the third time.

For once I got my feeding and hydration right and so finished feeling pretty good - it makes all the difference! Highly recommended route
alfapete - that's the Pete that drives the Alfa

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #38 on: 12 June, 2016, 01:20:19 pm »
Round the Plain perm yesterday.
Slight drizzle to start but then mostly dry, although evidence on the road that I'd missed some substantial downpours.

Met Hummers coming the other way as I went up the Bourne valley

The road from Erlestoke to Bratton has finally been re-surfaced (there were some real bike-eater potholes there in the winter) but the service at the Pickleberry is still woefully slow.

And met Jonah just before Wylye (he was 120km in to the Hellfire, so 480km to go, when I was just 50km from home - didn't envy him one bit)

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #39 on: 12 June, 2016, 01:41:17 pm »
Nice one, good route isn`t it  ;D, and although you had drizzle at least you didn`t get the last few hours conditions of 2014 !!

Looking back up Glenshee:

wet Glenshee evening by jamesld8, on Flickr

Yes, that was the year I p*nctured in Glen Isla about 20k out from the finish, and had to fix it in the pissing rain.
For me, the rain started just as I began the descent of Glenshee, as per your photo.

Chris N

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #40 on: 12 June, 2016, 02:42:27 pm »
Just a 100km DIY (my first audax since April last year :-[ and my first DIY using the new mandatory routes :thumbsup: ).  Figured out a mostly flat route to Ashbourne following the River Dove, up one steep (too steep to ride  :-[ ) climb in Ashbourne, then mostly downhill to the Trent.  I saved the hardest climb for the last 5 miles, as I had to get the distance up and couldn't be bothered to edit the start of the route last night. :facepalm:  Managed to do the ride non-stop too, apart from the stroll up Old Hill, so ended up with quite a respectable time and was back in time for lunch.

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #41 on: 18 June, 2016, 09:55:10 pm »
A loop of Malham Tarn via Blackstone Edge and Heptonstall, the cobbled climb was tough and I came close to packing at Gargrave after the drag over Widdop Moor into a nasty headwind but it all started to come together on the climb up Malham Rakes.

https://www.strava.com/activities/613371892

JonB

  • Granny Ring ... Yes Please!
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #42 on: 19 June, 2016, 06:16:51 pm »
300 DIY from Bristol to South Wales. Did this a few months ago but was very wet which limited what I got to see but yesterday was dry and quite warm by the afternoon.

Takes a slightly different route from the usual Welsh forays, from Chepstow headed straight along the A48 to Newport (nice and quiet early in the morning), Risca road out of Newport and a nice ride up to Hirwaun for breakfast (The Chippy and Cafe).  Turn south again and a lovely climb up the Rhigos, drop down to Treorchy and up the Bwlch. Then a longish descent with a few ups to Neath for a lunch (think it was NGR Cafe and Bistro). Turn north to Seven Sisters and left through some nice lanes and join the main A road that crosses over the Brecon Beacons, drop down to Sennybridge.  Then a straight run back via Brecon, Talybont-on-Usk, Abergavenny, Usk and the climb over Llangwm (the one at the end of Brevet Cymru and Gospel Pass) punctuated with a milkshake in a Brecon Ice Cream Parlour and a Cheese Toastie in Abergavenny Costa.

Route worked well and following the previous effort I was able to correct some RWGPS errors that had me grappling with poor cycle paths.  The two main climbs - Rhigos and Blwch - are great. Quite gentle and long that tend to wind up and down the mountains rather than going up and down.  The descents are on good roads with good vision and the bends are long so you can just let the bike go with minimal braking.

Here it is ... https://www.strava.com/activities/613349042

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #43 on: 19 June, 2016, 06:38:12 pm »
Nice one and thanks sharing details route---absolutely twin peaks, Marilyn M would be envious of such a profile  ;) 
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #44 on: 23 June, 2016, 12:16:45 pm »
On Saturday the 11th I did a 200 via 'traditional DIY' rules, but on the Sunday rode home via a 300 using the 'mandatory route' option.  Worked pretty well apart from the off-road sections I'd not spotted whilst planning my route  :facepalm:

2-3km of this wasn't much fun:


Route home:
https://www.strava.com/activities/607559133


Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #45 on: 23 June, 2016, 12:56:49 pm »
Looks like good reason for taking a legitimate diversion!

Well ridden.

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #46 on: 23 June, 2016, 01:40:11 pm »
But at least you had disc brakes to rely on  :thumbsup:

RWGPS does seem sneak these bits in and at scale of mapping hard to tell, I`ve been put onto cycle routes / canal towpaths  which run very close to a road and it`s near impossible tell until  riding it, at which point I seek the legitimate diversion onto the planned road
....after the `tarte de pommes`, and  fortified by a couple of shots of limoncellos,  I flew up the Col de Bavella whilst thunderstorms rolled around the peaks above

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #47 on: 23 June, 2016, 02:06:46 pm »
Next time I'd ride round, but once I had to stop and remove mud to keep the wheels turning I felt committed to carrying on... :)

Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #48 on: 23 June, 2016, 02:10:27 pm »
Ah yes, that "going back would be worse..... I hope.......  "  feeling!

Dave_C

  • Trying to get rid of my belly... and failing!
Re: Have you been out today on a Perm or DIY?
« Reply #49 on: 23 June, 2016, 02:56:57 pm »
Just spotted this.

On Saturday I rode a DIY 400 from home based on a ex calendar event, Berwick & Beattock 400. I set off from home at 04:40 and rode to Berwick upon Tweed for another breakfast around 9:50am. This took me through Gifford (7am) and over Redstane Rigg (430m). From Berwick I followed the main road to Kelso and then north of the River Teviot away from the main road and its traffic. Around 3 miles east of Hawick I rejoined the main road and stopped for food in Subway at Hawick (2:30pm) before setting off on the second climb (365m) and down to sea level again on my way to Carlisle. Finally heading north at 6pm I climbed from Moffat up the Devil's Beef tub (395m) and finally arriving in Cramond (sea level) at 02:30am (at 411km). The home on the last 20km and back in bed ~24 hours after I set off.

I made the mistake after PBP last year of dismantling my bike to go abroad and the saddle was not put at the correct height, resulting in sore knees and back all this week. I will raise my saddle a cm and see how I get on over the next few weeks before a 600 in early July.

https://www.strava.com/activities/614361365
@DaveCrampton < wot a twit.
http://veloviewer.com/athlete/421683/